Much has been said about this movie revitalizing the horror genre (leading, of course, to I Know What You Did Last Summer, a movie that helped set the horror genre back again). That much is true.

Some psycho is offing high school students. What's he want with Sidney Prescott, and is it related to the death of her mother one year ago?

Scream is clever and hip, and occasionally scary. It's not gory to the extent that it could have been (or gory to the extent that past horror movies have been) and it's actually kinda suspenseful. It's good that we're still guessing at the killer's identity until it's revealed, and, while this may sound a little sadistic, it's interesting to see how the next person's going to die.

Clever cameos (Ooh, Wes Craven! Ooh, Linda Blair) highlight a youthful cast that seems to enjoy itself. Neve Campbell nailed the character spot on here, although as Sidney in Scream 2 she couldn't really find her groove. Rose McGowan looks cute, and Courtney Cox steps out of the shadow of Monica on Friends. Skeet Ulrich is bland but creepy, and Matthew Lillard is hammy but fun. But the strongest points of the movie lie in the performances of Jamie Kennedy and David Arquette, as Randy and Dewey, respectively. Kennedy is funny as the video clerk who may be a suspect, and Arquette is hapless (or is it all a facade?) as a deputy investigating the murders.

On the whole, a decent flick. Not too scary, filled with popular culture references. Worthy of your attention, or at least another look.